Google Places blocked from using TripAdvisor reviews

Today, I would like to talk about the big affair concerning the giant search engine Google and the travel website specialist Tripadvisor. This article deals with the current confrontation that opposes them.

Google introduced Google Place Search, a new local search service that automatically organizes information around places (adding reviews, photos, current offers and coupons and other information related to your establishment) and may have a profound impact on the hotels popularity. Google will still use the SEO to rank the hotels but it will go further with Place Search as the guests reviews will impact the hotel ranking.

The problem is that Google wants to use, among others, Tripadvisor's reviews to help the consumers compare the hotels and make their choice. Tripadvisor refused to share its contents and blocked Google Place from accessing its reviews. Tripadvisor is the site that generates the more comments and it will be a very great loss for Google not benefiting from them.

The question is: what is the point of Tripadvisor fighting with such a giant as Google? People say it is related to the ITA affair, concerning the acquisition by Google of the software used by most of the travel websites distributors and used for finding the best flight rates and comparing the prices. Tripadvisor, "child" of Expedia, may have refused to help Google as it is seen as the new ennemy, a dangerous competitor. If Google extends its services with reviews and soon a comparative engine and the ability to book online, the future of Expedia, Tripadvisor and many other is at stake.

Still, I wonder what is the gain of Tripadvisor by refusing to cooperate with Google. If it does not show on Google pages, it will limit its visibility and its customers, the hotels paying for being promoted on its pages, will also lose a great exposure. Why does not it work with Google instead of fighting against it? To gain some money from Google to share its content? I am not sure this strategy will work on the long term... If Google does not access its reviews, it will find other sources anyway and Tripadvisor will lose the battle eventually. Apparently, Google will soon become a new Tripadvisor so I think it would be wiser for the travel website to see what it can save... An agreement will certainly be reached as both Google and Tripadvisor have a stake at compromising.

I would like to add that I think the new ranking strategy by Google Place Search is a clever idea as it ranks websites based on the good reviews they received. Service is thus given more emphazis, which is a good thing and a good reward for hotels that take care of their guests.